The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-29
A BEAR AT A BAPTIzING.
He Interrupted the dimensions and
Lunched on the Hymn Books.
From the New York Sun.

49,
From, the Ne,U York Sun.
WILLIAMSBURG, KY, Sept. 2.-There
hadn't been bear seen in Whitley county
for year until last Sunday. The chicken
roost of Farmer Bob Gentry, who lives
eight miles north of Williamsburg, had been
twice raided by some wild animal and Mr..
Gentry, who examined the footprints, said
it was bear. He and his neighbors took
their guns and dogs and hunted the noun
tains for two or three days, but they found
nothing. They concluded that the bear
was not pleased with the taste of the fowls
in Whitley and had emigrated to another
county, where he might find morsels more
suited to the taste of an ursine eplcure.
They gave up the hunt.
Last Sunday was baptizing day at the
New Salem Baptist church, which stands on
the banks of South Fork creek, one mile
from farmer Gentry's. The congregation
on that day was much larger than usual.
In the mountains baptism is great event.
Everybody goes. This was big one.
There were twelve converts, eight men and
four women, to be immersed. The prelim-
mary services in the church lasted two
hours, and the building was crowded. The
Rev. Mr.. Bell preached one of his greatest
sermons. Five persons came forward to the
mourner's bench After the ser
mon all went out to the baptism. The
creek is very shallow in some places, and
the preacher had to go quite distance in
order to secure place deep enough for the
immersion. At a point where it entered
channel between two high hills his enter
prising parishioners had built dam across
the stream, and the water was up to a
mans waist. The bills ON either side rose
pretty steeply, and were covered with
trees and underbrush. AT the foot of each
was narrow piece of level green sward, on
which the congregation assembled.
Preacher Bell waded into the water, his
Pensioners on the bank began hymn, and
the first person was immersed. The services
continued without hindrance until the
seventh convert was reached Mrs. Eliza
Estill was the wife of one of the most prov
ident farmers in Whitley county, and her
confession of the Baptist faith had been a
source of great pride to the good MIR. Bell
and the members of his congregation. She
was large woman, turning the scale OF
200, and some of the wicked boys were
very doubtful of Mr.. Bells ability to go
through the ceremony with her without
accident The woman waded into the water,
aud the full chorus of the hymn of praise
rang echoed back from the mountain side
as she stood with her eyes closed ready to
be plunged under the water.
Mr.. Bell reached out his hands, and a
woman on the bank uttered a shrek:
Look there!" she screamed, pointing to the
hill back of her on the south side of the
stream. A large black animal was scram-
bling through the trees and over the rocks
toward the crowd
"A bearln shouted the men. They had
left their weapons at hone. One of them
picked up boulder and threw it at the ami
NAL, striking him on the flank. Bruin
growled and accelerated his approach.
All the people fled in dismay. Those
who were ON the sane side of the water
with the bear jumped into the stream, and,
gaining the other bank, ran toward their
homes. Mr.. Bell abandoned Mrs. Estill in
the middle OF the stream, and, leaving his
c )at on the bank joined the fugitives.
Mrs. Estiu was sCrely frightened, but she
couldn't faint in the middle of the stream.
She attempted to reach the shore, but her
dress, inflated by the water, made her
progress slow, AMI before she could do so
the bear was upon the bank Here the ami
NAL stopped to devour a hymn book, and
while ne was maSticating it Mrs. Estill
reached dry ground, and, in spite of her
stoutness, was soon making rapid progress
toward home
When it had been ascertained that all of
the congregation were safe, a dozen men
armed themselves and started out to hunt
the irreveren5 bear. They went back to the
scene of the baptizal, but he had gone, first
having lunched off of the hymn books that
had been abandoned, and tore the minister's
coat into little strips. From the creek the
bears footsteps led into the hills, where his
trail was lost in the rocks. The dogs were
put ON the scent, and after a chase of five
hours the bear was discovered on the other
side of the mountain in a thicket. The
dogs ran him out, and couple of balls dis
patched him. He was brought to Williams
burg and with the hide on ne weighed 467
pounds. He was one of the biggest bears
ever killed in these parts.